49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards

 Four days. Two hikers. One killer.

The plot:  Cousins Katie and Aster have always been close. Until last year. But Aster is hoping their 4-day backpacking trip among Utah's red rocks and slot canyons will help heal both Katie and their relationship. But their 49-mile hike in the desert brings some unexpected surprises:  an illness, a storm, running low on water & food, an injury, and two strangers. Riley and Finn might be a perfectly nice couple, but something feels off. Katie is suspicious and fearful of Finn, Riley is acting nervous, and Aster isn't sure what to think. When Riley and Finn vanish into the desert night, Katie and Aster know they need to go for help. They just need to survive the last 23 miles.

My thoughts:  It's no secret that I love hiking and wilderness survival stories, so I was immediately drawn to this book for that reason. Plus, it's set in the scenic red rock backcountry of Moab, Utah; and I always enjoy reading books that are set in my own home state. And I definitely had fun reading this one. It's fast, has good tension, builds suspense, and really immerses you in that isolated desert environment. Katie and Aster were relatable characters that I also liked. And I appreciated Katie's personal journey as she overcame her fears and past trauma to stand strong at the end. It's a solid 4-star adventure.

Happy Reading!

The Unlikely Thru-Hiker by Derick Lugo

 

About the author:  "Derick Lugo had never hiked or camped a day in his life. This Brooklyn-born, New York city urbanite hopped a train to Georgia, grabbed a taxi at the station, and told the driver to drop him off at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. Then he did as he has always done--put one foot in front of the other and never looked back."

My thoughts:  You already know how much I love reading about other people's journeys hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, and Lugo's is one of the better ones. He's a gifted storyteller, and this memoir is full of humor, adventure, and some profound and uplifting advice...not just about hiking the AT, but about living life. I loved it.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Favorite quotes from the book:

"I'm not going to fall into a mindset of maybe I'll make it. I already have enough going against me, starting with how clueless I am about the trail. Positive thoughts are my biggest asset out here in the unknown."

"This journey will go better if I don't dread and curse the things I cannot control."

"Change can be frightening at times, but out here it's our way of life. When I stepped onto the AT, I sought change. I wanted to move away from a static existence. Suitably, the end of one thing opens the way for something wondrous. I see not the end but a new start."

"Hike your own Hike."

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

Mud, Rocks, Blazes by Heather "Anish" Anderson

 "I would attempt to hike the 2,189-mile-long Appalachian Trail faster than anyone else had. I would do it alone and not to prove anything to anyone this time except myself. ... There was something  I needed to learn out there on the rocky, rooty, trail."

This was the perfect book for my first nonfiction read of 2024. I've always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail--not to try and set any kind or record, but just to see if I could do it. That kind of wilderness adventure has always appealed to me. Though it's something I probably should have attempted in my 20s. (I doubt my knees could take it now.) But I still love reading books about people who do achieve their AT dream. And this well-written memoir gives you a real taste of hiking the AT, as well as some great words of wisdom. (Anderson has also hiked the Pacific Coast Trail with the fastest known time and written a book about that adventure, too.) Here are some of my favorite quotes from this excellent memoir: 

"I had to always remind myself that everything that happened along the way was out of my control, that I could only change my reactions, and dedicate myself to putting one foot in front of the other, even when I wanted to stop."

"Pain and hardship are integral to any thru-hike, as they are to life in general. It is suffering that is a mindset. ...I decided in that moment--even if it was going to take a thousand conscious choices every day--that I would choose not to suffer. There would be no drudgery on my hike. I would move forward with passion for adventure. Just as I always had." 

"I smiled at the changes in myself. I'd learned courage. And from that courage had come confidence. And from that confidence had grown acceptance of all circumstances."

Happy Reading!

A few of my other favorite Appalachian Trail reads:

A Woman's Journey on the Appalachian Trail by Cindy Ross

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis

A Journey North by Adrienne Hall

And if you know of any other books about hiking the Appalachian Trail that you think I'd like, please let me know!  😎

 

 

Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford

 Three hikers  gone missing on the Pacific Crest Trail: Chris Sylvia in 2015; Kirk Fowler in 2016; and David O'Sullivan in 2017.

Two women determined to find them:  Andrea Lankford and Cathy Tarr.

And their families who never gave up hope. 

I have always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. I even sent away for maps of it once. But I'm not good with dirt and bugs, sunburn and sweat, camping out for days at a time, or sleeping on the ground. So I'll probably never hike it from start to finish. (Though I do still harbor hope that I might manage to hike parts of it someday.) But I absolutely love reading about those who do set out on these long trails. I've read several accounts of thru-hikers who have hiked the Appalachian Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. And I'm always amazed by their exuberance, optimism and tenacity. 

Trail of the Lost is an equally compelling account, but it's a sad one, too. Tarr and Lankford do everything they can to find the PCT missing: track down and interview other hikers, retrace the hikers' last known steps, organize search parties (lots of search parties!), hire drone operators to fly over the area, follow every lead and clue, and share in the parents' heartache and grief. Not just for a month or two. But for years. But sometimes the lost are never found. 

Lankford's writing is vivid and well-researched; she paints quite a picture of what it's like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. And she meets a lot of very interesting people along the way. Trail of the Lost is an engrossing and memorable book. I'd give it 4.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Similar--and equally good--read:

The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman

Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott...

 

JAY:  "I'm a national park ranger, not some Prince Charming, who swoops in on his noble steed to save the princess and falls in love at first sight. Rescuing a damsel in distress is something best left to fairy tales."

DAISY:  "For his thirtieth birthday, my boyfriend Tye decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. For the record, that's over two thousand miles. He promised it would be an 'epic adventure.' I said yes. Love makes us do crazy things."

THE PLOT IN BRIEF:  When an early snowstorm sweeps through the Great Smoky Mountains, Jay and Olive take shelter in a small moonshiner cabin to wait out the storm. It's Jay's job to protect the thru-hikers. And Olive? She broke up with her boyfriend back in the Berkshires and is now hiking alone. They're both a bit prickly, and neither are looking for love, but they can't deny the attraction they feel for each other. And there's nothing to do at the cabin but talk and get to know each other better. There's a definite spark between them, but then the snow clears and they have to return to the real world.

WHAT I LIKED:  I've always loved books where people get snowed in; I just can't resist them. And I've always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail, so that was another draw. Plus, Jay's an ornithologist and Olive's become an enthusiastic birder, so that was fun, too. I enjoyed Jay's and Olive's humorous banter and sarcastic digs. And I liked that they were both characters with layers. And the romance? I liked that a lot, too. This was a fun read, and I look forward to reading Prescott's next book.

THE ONE THING I DIDN'T LOVE:  It's written in present tense, which is NOT my favorite, but Prescott did it so well I ended up not minding it at all.

HAPPY READING!

Bookish Suspense...

Title & Author:  One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

First Line:  "No one said anything about rain in the brochures."

Summary:  Every senior at Sera's high school must sign up for a Senior Life Experience Mission. So Sera and five others sign up for a backpacking trip in the Appalachian mountains. The first thing that goes wrong is when Lucas--the boy Sera has a history with she'd rather forget--joins their group at the last minute. Then, on day two, it begins to rain; it rains so much that the river they have to cross floods, washing out the bridge and dividing their group, stranding them on opposite banks. But the worst thing comes the next morning when Sera, Lucas, Jude and Emily discover their teacher drugged and comatose, their supplies destroyed and stolen, and accusatory words written on each of their wrists:  deceptive, damaged, dangerous, and darling. Someone is watching them; hunting them. And they don't know who or why. Or if they'll survive.

My thoughts:  This YA novel brims with mystery, suspense and a whole lot of teen angst. I liked Sera at the beginning, but by the end of the novel I mostly found her frustrating. Especially when it came to Lucas. I spent half the novel wishing she and Lucas would get over their little romantic drama already. But it took the entire book for Sera to resolve her issues. Sigh....teenagers! Still, there are some good things about this book:  it's pretty suspenseful, the mystery part kept me guessing, and it has quite an unexpected twist. And I liked how the author wrapped things up at the end. But what really made this book fun was reading it with Melody. Because books are always better when shared with a friend.

Happy Reading!

P.S. Every time we do a buddy read, Melody and I always exchange questions at the end. Here are hers to me, and my answers. (And be sure to go check out her review of this book on her blog!)

Q.  Mr Walker, the teacher-in-charge, had chosen a remote place for their field trip. Do you think this is a good or a bad choice?

A.  I thought it was an odd choice for a "Senior Life Experience"--hiking to a famous landmark would've made more sense. And I thought taking so many inexperienced hikers into such a remote area, especially one that had no cell service and no nearby help, was a very bad decision.

Q. The four characters were each branded with a word which defines their characteristics. Based on your opinion, who do you think best fit with the description?

A. This is a hard one. When threatened, or when defending Sera, Lucas could definitely be a dangerous adversary, but I wouldn't classify him as a violent or dangerous person. So I guess I would have to go with Jude who got branded with the word deceptive--not that he was a liar per se, but because he wasn't very open or forthcoming with anyone. About anythingl. 

happiness for beginners...

"The plan, as I had fantasized for the last six months, was to drive out to Wyoming and have a brave adventure with a bunch of strangers that would totally change not just my life, but my entire personality. The plan was to set out alone into the world, conquer it, and return home a fiercer and more badass version of myself. The plan did not include anybody but me -- especially not, of all people, Jake."

Helen Carpenter, who is thirty-two and has been divorced for a year, decides it's time to change her life. So she signs up for an extreme wilderness survival course in Wyoming. The other participants are all college students. Then there's Jake -- her younger brother's best friend who's had a crush on her for years-- who has also signed up for the course. But Helen isn't interested in Jake; she just wants to prove that she can survive on her own. And maybe find a little happiness along the way.

Helen is a funny and easy-to-relate-to narrator, although there were times when I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. And I really liked Jake, although the relationship drama between him and Helen sometimes felt a little contrived and unnecessary ... and also a tad predictable. The outdoor adventures they have--all the mishaps, successes, and lessons learned along the hiking trail--is what I liked best...and why I'm recommending this book. happiness for beginners by Katherine Center is an entertaining and happy novel, and a perfect read to start off the new year.

Happy Reading!